Shinjite:Believe
by Phantom of the Phoenix
Summary: [S/K, Cloud/Aeris, Leon/Yuffie] *Sequel to Desu no Yami|Death of the Darkness* {Chapter 3} Ansem's back (God, why won't he just DIE already?!) and Sora and Kairi have been reunited... Now there's just one problem... How to tell Lilith that Riku's gone....
1. Tooi Tasogare:Distant Twilight

A/N: Yo! I'm back.... Wee! This is Shinjite|Believe, sequel to Desu no Yami|Death of the Darkness! I highly recommend reading it; otherwise this fic won't make any sense at first... None. Zip. Nada. This takes place about 6 months after the end of DnY|DotD  
  
Also ~~ WORDS ~~ is song lyrics!  
  
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Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is property of Square and Disney. Lilith, Chemuk, the doctor dude (Lilith's dad), the Nekohoshi sisters, and this plot are mine. The song is none other than Crawling in the Dark, by Hoobastank. ^_^  
  
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First God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.  
  
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Shinjite|Believe  
  
**  
  
Chapter 01: Tooi Tasogare~Distant Twilight  
  
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Rain beat down, threatening to flood the lowlands, turning lakes and rivers into weapons. Neon signs cracked and flickered, casting eerie dancing shadows on the poorly made stone road. Lightning danced across the black satin sky that never seemed to lighten up much, whether it is the ominous storm clouds during the day, or the inky blackness of the dark night.  
  
~~ I will dedicate ~~  
  
Subconsciously, Riku pulled his black hood down over his ice blue eyes and startling silver hair, before walking into a nearby café. Several men were out cold, leaning back in their chairs, or drooling on the table, half- finished glasses of beer near their heads.  
  
~~ And sacrifice my everything ~~  
  
He took a seat at the far back, and looked around. This place was like a hellhole. The people living here knew that they were doomed, so they went on living as best they could. "Riku?" A voice asked, and he looked up. King Mickey stood next to the table, wondering why he disappeared without telling where he was going.  
  
~~ For just a second's worth ~~  
  
"Nothing, just sit down." He resumed staring out the window, watching the rain create trails on the glass. The rain made him thoughtful, made him realize what a difference the people around him made. People who meant so much to him ~ Sora, Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, Chemuk, and Lilith...  
  
~~ Of how my story's ending ~~  
  
Lilith. He had never really settled terms with his "partner", Maleficent's niece, and the empress of some planet called Meirei. Ansem had controlled him through the darkness, but Lilith still stood by him, defending him. She had been concerned for him, and wouldn't leave Hollow Bastion unless he came too... That selflessness got her kidnapped by Ansem.  
  
~~ And I wish I could know ~~  
  
The bruises on his leg and face had faded, but there was a small scar on his cheek from her ring. It had become a habit to run his ringers over the small indent while he thought. Of course, he never really thanked Chemuk either. That was one faithful pet two-tailed black wolf. She tore the Keyblade right from Sora's hand and almost killed Sora. Just because Sora had beaten him.  
  
~~ If the directions that I take ~~  
  
"'Scuse me, y'all, could I have your order?" A giddy young waitress with a deep southern accent asked, giggling. Southern Accent. The opposite of Lilith, who had a strong Brooklyn accent.  
  
~~ And all the choices that I make ~~  
  
"I'll take some hot tea... Riku?" The over-sized mouse asked, looking at him. "Oh, uh... just water please." He replied, returning from his zoned out state.  
  
~~ Won't end up all for nothing ~~  
  
"A'ight, your drinks'll be here in a minute." The waitress smiled at Riku and left, leaving Riku rolling his eyes. "All the girls seem to like the whole tall, dark, and silent routine you're pulling." Mickey stated, folding his hands on the table.  
  
~~ Show me what it's for ~~  
  
"Keh. Like I care." Riku growled, turning away. "Oh yeah," Mickey started, sighing, "You're still obsessed with Kairi. Sorry, I forgot." The mouse finished sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up rat." Riku snarled.  
  
~~ Make me understand it ~~  
~§~  
"There's NOTHING here!" Yuffie whined, tossing a book across the room for the heck of it. Chemuk yelped and ducked under it, before growling in aggravation. Aerith sighed, closing another book she paged through. "There's nothing on the Door to the Light either..." Leon said, throwing another book on top of Aerith's in defeat.  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
  
"Well, if we can find Lilith, she could find the Door to the Light, but we have no idea where Ansem could've taken her..." Chemuk stated, her large ears drooping. Everyone in the room sighed, before Chemuk spoke up again. "I don't know what's up, since until now, I could sense Lilith's whereabouts, being that I'm her spirit guide, but..." Chemuk's two tails waved slightly, more out of habit than anything else.  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
  
"We should leave. We've searched this place top to bottom a hundred times. Nothing's going to change." Cloud spoke up, leaning against the wall by the door. Chemuk nodded sullenly, before trotting up to her Mistress's oldest friend.  
  
~~ Is there something more than ~~  
  
"Plus we're out of supplies. It would be best to go back to Traverse Town, rest for a few days, then go on." Sephiroth replied, sitting atop a large bookcase. Chemuk looked up at him, and grinned a wolfish grin.  
  
~~ What I've been handed? ~~  
  
"Thank god for this tin can." Leon remarked, climbing aboard Lilith's monstrous black and silver gummi ship, known as The Hellbringer. "If we didn't have it, we couldn't pass through the walls surround the separate worlds." The former Squall said, sitting in one of the many pivoting chairs in the cockpit.  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
  
"How come everyone calls this a tin can?! It's not even metal!!!" Chemuk freaked out, causing several of the members on board to scoot backwards. No matter how much you trusted her, there was still something scary about the thought of being attack by a 25-foot long, two-ton wolf. Chemuk pressed the coordinate buttons with her nose, before flopping to the floor. The engines started with a familiar hum, before rocketing forward at the same velocity that sent Riku flying 30 feet backwards the first time he was onboard.  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
~§~  
"So that fool Ansem lost to the Keyblade master. Hm. Figures." The man known as Yu Hikage smirked, his midnight blue eyes cold. "Don't you agree dear?" He turned behind him, to the large metal cage. The figure within was shackled and chained, but her face split into a wicked grin, inhuman fangs glittering.  
  
~~ Help me carry on ~~  
  
"Good to see you agree. Don't worry dearest; I'll let you out of that cage soon, I just need sometime to finish this device that will destroy those wretched walls around the worlds, since the only ship capable of passing through them is not in our hands..." The chained woman growled as response, and Yu smirked again.  
  
~~ Assure me it's OK ~~  
~§~  
"We'll need a hotel, you know." Mickey stated to Riku as they drudged down the waterlogged street. Riku looked thoughtful for a minute, before nodding. "Any preferences?" The mouse asked curiously.  
  
~~ To use my heart ~~  
  
"As long as it's peaceful and quiet, and I can have my own room, I don't care." Riku replied, pulled his cloak around his shoulders tighter. 'It's freezing... "kinda cold" as Lilith would say.' Riku could help but smirk, remembering Lilith's only reaction to Hollow Bastion.  
  
~~ And not my eyes ~~  
  
"Well, there's that place..." Mickey pointed to a 3-story house, decorated with a simple charm that made the place inviting in this World of Darkness. "It's actually a Bed and Breakfast like place, which I think is better than any old hotel." Mickey nodded to himself, and Riku rolled his eyes, before walking ahead, leaving the king on his own.  
  
~~ To navigate the darkness ~~  
  
"Hey! Rikuuuuu!" Mickey dashed after the 15-year-old, following him into the welcoming house. The first room had pictures of waterfalls and tropical forests, and one painting of a beach that Riku had to take a second glance at to make sure it wasn't the Destiny Islands.  
  
~~ Will the ending be ever coming suddenly? ~~  
  
"Do you all want a room?" A voice with an accent like Lilith's asked. Riku nearly jumped, but spun to face the source of the voice. It wasn't Lilith, but the woman was still short. She looked to be around 25-26, with long black hair pulled in a braid that trailed down her back. She had intense violet eyes, and was a very, very dark tan.  
  
~~ Will I ever get to see the Ending to my story? ~~  
  
"Yes, we do. Could we speak to the owner?" Mickey asked, as Riku's eyes narrowed. An accent like Lilith's was hard to come by, so how'd this woman in the middle of nowhere have one?  
  
~~ Show me what it's for ~~  
  
"You're looking at her! The name's Mikaa, Mikaa Nekohoshi, and I own this little place. If you two want a room-"  
  
"Separate rooms." Riku interrupted.  
  
"Alright, separate rooms then. Izumi!" A younger girl, presumably Mikaa's little sister, rushed in, and looked at the visitors. She too had black hair, but was cut off at her chin. Her eyes were a lighter shade, more lavender than violet, but were just as intense. "Show these guests to two separate rooms, please."  
  
~~ Make me understand it ~~  
  
"A'ight." The girl said, with a toned-down accent. "This way." She led them up a set of stairs, to two doors side by side. "You can choose which room you want, we really don't care." She waved and ran back down the stairs, leaving Riku and Mickey, who just headed for whichever door was closest.  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
  
Riku smiled at the room he got. Everything was done in tones of black and silver. It was beyond ironic. He pulled off his black cloak, and dropped it over the back of the chair, before running a hand through his messy silver hair, freeing even more pieces from the small ponytail he wore it in. He dropped down onto the bed, and fished in the pocket of his baggy dark blue jeans, before pulling out a thin, perfectly round disk of silver, with the symbol for fire elaborately etched in it. It was none other than Lilith's pendant, which she had leant to him for luck before he fought Sora for the first time.  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
  
He was glad he hadn't returned it, because it did make him feel relaxed when he held it. It was so burning hot it was cold, but still comfortable by some odd magic. He smiled, before laying it down on the desk and walking out of the room.  
  
~~ Is there something more than ~~  
  
"Hmm." Riku pondered, walking down the stairs, before bumping into none other than Izumi. "Oh, sorry." Riku said in a detached tone. Izumi glared at him for a minute, before shoving him out of her way and continuing up the stairs. "That whole obedient little sister is a big act." Riku declared to no one particular, before shrugging and continuing down the stairway.  
  
~~ What I've been handed? ~~  
  
"Oh! Nekohoshi-san! Just the person I needed to see!" Riku stated, catching a glimpse of the long black braid belonging to the older Nekohoshi sister.  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
  
"Yes Riku-san?" Mikaa asked, turning back to him, "You have a question, ne?" She smiled and gestured to the deep maroon couch against the far wall of the living room. He nodded, and the two sat down.  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
  
"I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but I noticed your sister and yours accent is quite unusual... I've only heard one like it once before." Riku questioned sincerely, folding his arms, and looking at her with honest curiosity.  
  
~~ So when and how will I know? ~~  
  
"Of course..." Mikaa smiled sadly. "Many ask about my strange accent. It IS rare, even on my home world. I can only name a few who have it: Kass Mauli; Izumi; Me; Ikka; Shiori; and of course, my lady Hime-sama..." She finished with a tinge of regret. Riku's eyes widened, and Mikaa noticed.  
  
~~ How much further do I have to go? ~~  
  
"Your lady Hime-sama..." Riku tried to calm himself down, "What was her name? Her actual name?" Riku grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What did she look like?"  
  
~~ How much longer until I finally know? ~~  
  
"Lady Hime-sama... her name was Lilith. Lilith Isis Hikage. Bright red hair like her mother, very pale, short, teal-color eyes..."  
  
~~ Because I'm looking and I just can't see ~~  
  
"Lilith..." Riku murmured, before it dawned on him "Hey, then..." He dashed up the stairs, only to return with the simple medallion in his hand. "You recognize this?" He held it out, and Mikaa gasped.  
  
~~ What's in front of me ~~  
  
"That's my lady's pendant... What have you done with my lady?!" Mikaa rose to her feet.  
  
~~ In front of me ~~  
  
"Nothing!" Riku cried defensively. "She leant it to me for luck... I just haven't returned it."  
  
~~ Show me what it's for ~~  
  
"You must be someone very special for my lady to even let you see that pendant, much less carry it with you... it belonged to Lady Hime-sama's mother, the late Empress Inukii. She treasures that beyond words."  
  
~~ Make me understand it ~~  
  
Then why would she...?" Riku held it by the fine silver chain, watching the disk twirl lightly in the rain-chilled air. It had belonged to her mother... why would she have risked the chance of something happening to it by giving it to me?  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
~§~  
"Any luck?" Cid asked, handing a glass of water to Yuffie, who downed it in one gulp. The entire group sighed, and flopped back in the couch or chair, or in Chemuk's case, the floor. "I'll take that as a NO." Cid said sarcastically.  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
  
"DUH!" Yuffie chucked the empty glass at the person sitting across from her, who was none other than Leon. "Oops! Sorry Squa- err, Leon." She laughed and scratched the back of her head. Several people stared at her... I mean, yeah, she did act younger than the others because she WAS younger, but this was just plain weird.  
  
~~ Is there something more than ~~  
  
"Yuffie... are you feeling alright?" Aerith asked in concern, the kind- hearted woman looking at her friend intensely. Yuffie squeezed her hands into tight fists on her lap, before letting them relax. With her eyes hidden beneath a sheet of black hair, she smirked - not a normal smirk, but like one a person who had gone through intense irony would smirk. "...Yuffie?" Aerith asked again.  
  
~~ What I've been handed? ~~  
  
"You know what?" Yuffie asked, without looking up. The group flinched. Yuffie raised her eyes to meet Leon's, and they knew instantly she wasn't all right. Her deep blue eyes were clouded over with pain, and seemed detached from reality, like she was daydreaming. "I don't think so." The 16- year-old ninja girl collapsed, and Aerith caught her right before she hit the hard wood floor.  
  
~~ I've been crawling in the dark ~~  
  
"Oh Yuffie!" Aerith steadied the unconscious girl, and gave Leon a deep look. "She needs to lie down, NOW." Leon nodded, before lifting the ill girl from the couch with little effort and turning to leave, Aerith and Cloud close behind. Which left Chemuk, Sephiroth, and Cid staring, totally confused as to what just happened. Cid finally spoke up.  
  
"Um?"  
  
~~ Looking for the answer ~~  
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A/N: Wee! Completed this in a little less than 3 days! I'm so proud! ::grins:: I'll update quick, I promise! Also, to explain a few things...  
  
The OOC-ness of Yuffie, Squall/Leon, Aerith, Cloud, Cid, and Sephiroth: I've yet to play FFVII or VIII, as I only played FFX right now, so I'm basing this SOLELY on their personalities in Kingdom Hearts... Sephiroth being the hardest, 'cause he doesn't even really talk in the game... I know he's very enigmatic, but that's about it.  
  
The screwed up history of Maleficent: I KNOW Maleficent's history with Aurora, but I decided I'd like it better if she worked for Inukii, mind you, she wasn't BORN on Meirei...  
  
Japanese: I have a bad habit of putting in Japanese phrases and such, simply because I do it so much in the real world... I am not from Japan, but my mother is. It am not a native Japanese speaker, but am learning... so yeah.  
  
Let's see here, what terms did I use...?:  
  
Shinjite ~ BELIEVE! It's already translated!  
  
Tooi Tasogare ~ "Tooi" means Distant and "Tasogare" means twilight, so I guess it would mean distant twilight, but I don't know the rules of Japanese Grammar yet...  
  
Hime ~ Princess  
  
-sama ~ A suffix for someone of high royalty or respect, such as Kami-SAMA is god... So thus, Hime-sama, rather than being Princess, would be a high- ranking princess, such as saying "Imperial Princess"  
  
-san ~ A suffix representing respect, roughly translated as Mr. or Mrs.  
  
Ne ~ Not really a word, just something put at the end of Japanese questions  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
::blinks:: Is that really it? Wow, you're lucky, I didn't use that many... 


	2. Garasu Yoake:Glass Dawn

A/N: Yo! I'm back! I don't really have anything to say, except that I am grounded from my computer. Then how did I type this, you ask? Simple. I have to do slave labor to earn back time on my computer. X.x

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Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is property of Square and Disney. Lilith, Chemuk, the doctor dude (Lilith's dad), the Nekohoshi sisters, and this plot are mine. 

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Two Words: Catapulting Teacups.

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Shinjite|Believe

**

Chapter 02: Garasu Yoake ~ Glass Dawn

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"Come on now, you little brat!"

Yuu slapped the woman in the cage, who, in response, snarled venomously and flared the large bat wings connected to her shoulder blades. "You're my daughter, you HAVE to listen!"

The woman bent her head down, bright red hair hiding her unnaturally yellow eyes. "You wish. You aren't my father – just a man with the same genes as me!"  Yuu growled and slapped her again.

"Shut up bitch! You're nothing but a failed experiment! You don't even have a name!"

The woman grinned, and wiggled her wrists in the shackles. "You're very much wrong, buddy. For one I DO have a name. A very nice name! It's Lilith.

Yuu growled.

"And for two... I'm no failed experiment!" She growled and pulled her wrists apart with inhuman strength, before the chain linking the cuffs twisted and snapped, freeing her arms.

"No!" Yuu flinched back. With her arms free, she could...

"Chaos flare!" She wrapped one hand around the metal bar holding the cage door shut, narrowed her eyes, and the bar started to glow, changing from a deep red to a eerie blue, to a burning white. 

"No..." Yuu made a wild dash for the safe room, before the steel doors crashed together with a hiss of steam.

"Heh. Weakling!" Lilith smashed the bar with her bare heel, and it split and bent outwards, letting the door swing open. "Perfect." Lilith grabbed a spare lab coat from the rack, before ripping apiece off, and tying her wildly curly hair up into a bun.

She scratched her shoulder, before frowning, and scratching the base of the huge black bat wing. "Well, let's see what daddy-dearest has here..." She glanced through his stack of inventions. "Ooh! Communicator Watches! I'll take these!" 

She turned to the next table, but the huge spike on the joint of her left wing brushed a lamp, and she sighed. Lilith sighed, and concentrated, before the wings seemed to fold into her back, and disappear. "Good." She declared, before looking down at her hands. The claw-like nails had turned back into her short lavender painted nails.

She scouted along the table, picking up more inventions, including a pocket plasma gun (with just three shots); a device that would concentrate energy and allow a person to change their size ("Useful for Chemuk... she'll be a lot less conspicuous as a normal-sized dog."); several handguns and holsters (Which she strapped around her waist). 

Standing in the corner was a huge boomerang. The points on either end had been sharpened to turn it into a huge shuriken. It was made of some glossy black metal, and Lilith went to lift it. It was rather heavy, which meant most people wouldn't be able to use it efficiently. However, Lilith wasn't most people.

Grinning like the fiend she was, she hefted it onto her back, before pulling a black and silver cloak over the short red spaghetti strap dress her father had put on her. As she dashed out the door, she passed a mirror, and stopped short. The heartless sign had disappeared from her left cheek as well. "Good." She said again, before running up the stairs that lead to the basement of Hollow Bastion.

~§~

"Will she be alright?" Chemuk asked urgently, pointing her large muzzle at the closed door. 

"I don't know..." Leon said, pain evident in his eyes. Chemuk whimpered, before nudging his shoulder for comfort. 

"My lady would never forgive me if I let her die..." Chemuk declared, shutting her acid green eyes tight. "Or..." She let her eyes open slowly, "If I let one of her dearest friend's hearts be broken." She said quietly, leaving Leon with a surprised look on his face.

"Her fever isn't going down..." Aerith came out, her hands shaking. Cloud looked up from staring at the floor, in his signature pose, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "I don't know if she'll make it through the night...." Aerith gave up the act, and collapsed to the floor sobbing.

Wordlessly, Cloud crouched down, before lifting her up and carrying her to the other room. "ARGH!" Chemuk burst out, purposely smashing her head against the wall. 

"Uh... Chemuk...?" Leon asked in concern.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! Yuffie-chan gets sick, Aerith-chan gives up and Lilith-cha--- AH! I sense M'lady! She's alive!" Chemuk suddenly burst out, causing Sephiroth to jump. 

Chemuk howled a long mournful note, before grabbing Sephiroth's coat and dragging him out the door. "We'll be back!" Chemuk yelled. 

"Oh no! We're coming too!" Cloud growled, walking out of the room, and now-calm Aerith close behind, smiling sweetly. 

"What about...?" Leon glanced over at Yuffie's closed door. 

"Bring her!" Chemuk yipped, running in a circle and waving her twin tails wildly. "M'lady could probably find what's wrong!" 

"That's true, Lilith was a... expert at viruses..." Cloud recalled, causing Chemuk to nod her head wildly.

"I can contact her..."

Chemuk closed her eyes, and concentrated, 'Lilith! HEY LILITH!'

'Gaaawwd! Chemuk, you don't have to shout... I got a headache already!'

'Good to hear you're yourself. Where have you been?!'

'Che-Chan... It's Yuu... He's back!'

'WHAT?!?!!'

'DON'T SHOUT!' 

Chemuk toppled backwards, her head ringing with Lilith's strong mental shout.

"Chemuk?" Leon asked, squatting down. Chemuk shuddered, the muscles tensing and releasing under her thick coat.

"Sephiroth-san, Cloud-san... It's Yuuyami... he was the one who had Lilith hostage this whole time." 

A dread-filled silence filled the room.

"If he's alive, then that means that sick freak will probably..." Sephiroth started.

"Bring Ansem and a army of Heartless back to life." Cloud finished, and Chemuk nodded.

"Well then, we better meet up with Lilith and stop him." A weak voice stated, and the whole room turned to face the source.

Yuffie, dressed in the simple white under kimono that Aerith had changed her into, unadorned with any headbands or anything similar, was leaning against her door's frame. Obviously weak, the sweat running down her brow proof, she smiled weakly.

"Yuffie!" Chemuk and Aerith both shouted, before the girl raised a hand to stop them. "I'm fine, let's just find Lilith and find out what's wrong with me."

~§~

"Wow... this place is different." Lilith stood in the entrance hall, before glancing around. "It's so much more.... cheerful." White roses, the thorns cut off, stood elegantly in crystal vases. Lights danced in the base of the fountain, turning the water red and green and blue. Colorful tapestries hung on the walls.

"I wonder what ever..." Lilith let the boomerang fall to the floor with a loud crash, before she dashed up the stairs, and up through the elaborate Lift Stops. She skid to a halt at the Chapel, staring at the open wall leading to the Grand Chamber. 

"I don't think I can take it..." She walked slowly into the room where everything began, and everything ended. There were pools of melted marble that had cooled and reformed. A huge wooden pole, obviously a replacement until another marble column could replace the one that had exploded, supported the upper level.

Lilith closed her eyes, and calmed her jittery nerves, and read the energy waves in the room. There was a high concentration in the upper left corner, where some form of energy transportation had occurred, whether it was a summoned beast to travel with, or a void.

Lilith opened her eyes sadly. No other traces. None. "Ugh......." She dropped to the floor, and frowned. What had happened in the past 6 months she had been gone?

~§~

"Any luck finding any hints on the "Door to the Light"?" Sora asked Donald, who shook his head. "Damn." Sora swore, getting all too fed up with this. He was dying to find Riku, and just go back to Destiny Islands. 

"SOOOORRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" An earsplitting shout echoed through the enormous Kingdom. 

"Eh?" He asked, looking up.

"We found her! We found her! ... Which means we can find Riku and Mickey!" Chemuk slid through the door, claws unable to stop her two-ton mass on the polished floor, and she slid right past him, toppling over a few bookshelves in the process.

"Not exactly graceful when excited, is she?" Leon asked, sighing and covering his face.

"Nope." Cloud answered, also sighing.

"Found... who?"

"Lilith-Chan... Err, My lady!" Chemuk popped her head out of the pile of books, before displaying her colossal strength by standing up under the 6 solid oak bookshelves and pushing them aside.

"Really?" Sora rose to his feet, and Donald and Goofy both stared.

"How did you get here?!" Donald asked, and Aerith smiled.

"Lilith's ship is fully capable of passing through the walls... but there aren't any walls anyway."

There was a stunned silence from those who didn't know. 

"How... How long have they been down?" Sora responded.

"Only a week."

"Well, let's go then!" Sora jumped up, and drew the Ultima Weapon from beside his chair, before laughing.

"He's waaaaaaay too happy-go-lucky." Sephiroth declared, and Chemuk nodded in agreement.

~§~

As it turned out, Mikaa Nekohoshi's accent wasn't the same as Lilith's by coincidence. Mikaa was, in fact, head of the Shadow Guard, an elite band of warriors that fought alongside the Empress. 

"It's just my luck, after almost a year, someone who my lady Hime-sama trusts enough to give her mother's pendant to ends up under my roof!"

"Who knew Lilith?" An angry voice growled. Izumi stood in the doorway, one hand squeezing the doorframe so tight that Riku thought it would split.

"That's Lady Hime-sama!" Mikaa growled, jumping to her feet. 

"Like I care?! That woman left us here to DIE!" 

Rather than Mikaa retaliating, Riku rose to his feet and stepped up to Izumi. He was a good eight inches taller then her, and he looked down on her, blue eyes icy, "Actually, Lilith seemed very dedicated to destroying Maleficent and the Heartless, AND finding the Door to the Dark to save those trapped inside the dark world." Izumi flinched. This guy was a LOT more intense then he first appeared to be.

"O-okay." She stuttered, before dashing out of the room. Mikaa stared, before trotting up to the islander.

"How'd you get her to do that?" Mikaa asked, obviously surprised. Riku shrugged, before turning and leaving.

~§~

Lilith flew throw Hollow Bastion with remarkable speed, bare feet making a constant clapping noise against the cold marble. "Damn it!" Lilith jumped from the ledge of the lift stop, hooked her fingers around the ledge across from her, and flipped up, not even pausing as her feet hit the ground, and tore around the corner. 

"If Chemuk leads the others here NOW, they'll have to face my damn father...." Lilith very nearly missed the turn she was supposed to take, throwing her hand out and grabbing the door frame to swing her force in the right direction. "So I've got to stop them!"

Lilith dashed to the head of the Entrance Chamber, and very nearly felt her heart stop. Standing in the center of the hall, was a young woman, her straight ebony locks trailing down to her waist. Her eyes were the color of acid, dangerous and sharp. Her skin was as white as milk, and her nails were painted deep silver. A gown, black as midnight, graced her lithe form. It had no straps, and a black ribbon twisted around her neck several times.

A gasp escaped Lilith's slightly parted lips, and the girl smirked, revealing the one flaw to her appearance. Vampire-like fangs, stained with blood, belied her angelic looks. Lilith smirked and walked down the steps, her smirk growing every step.

The woman took a graceful stride forward, and Lilith came face-to-face, teal meeting acid. Lilith smirked again. "So you found me." The woman grinned again, before shrugging.

"Oh that's right, you're mute."

The woman frowned intensely, and Lilith patted her bare shoulder as apology. Lilith suddenly spun to the doors. 

"Che-Chan, change back! Sora's here."

The woman nodded, before a deep violet glow enveloped her, and then the huge black wolf stood in her place. 

"Lilith!" Sora ran into the room, where the girl stood. She smiled at him, and turned to face him. "You're alright?" 

Lilith puffed up her cheeks, "OF COURSE I'M ALRIGHT! What do you take me for, you?!" She taunted, forcing herself to act normal. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, keeping her from being cheerful. (AN: Remember, Ansem took her BEFORE Riku was sent to the Dark World.)

"Lil!" The redhead looked up, and Cloud and Sephiroth ran over to her. 

"Yo." The Empress replied, making the well-known peace sign. 

"Where's Yu?!" Cloud growled.

"NO!" Lilith shouted, grabbing his cloak. 

"Wha?" Sora asked curiously.

"Yu... he'll kill you all... we've got to leave... we can deal with him later!!!" The girl started pushing on Sephiroth's back, shoving him away.

"Eeehhh......" Chemuk sighed, and everyone followed behind her.

~§~

"Heh..." Yuuyami pushed the metal door open, and the figure within coughed.

"Welcome back to the world of living, Ansem."

-------------------------------------

AN: God, did I mention I hate Ansem?

Pleeeaaaaseeee R & R!!!

  
Down there!

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	3. Uso Mitaina Hikari:A False Light

AN: Wow, I really must have been inspired... or something along those lines ^_^  
  
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Disclaimer: Duh.  
  
Hikage (The authoress): Well... Heh. In other words, I own Lilith, Yuuyami, Chemuk, Mikaa, Izumi, Meirei (I own my own planet... nifty!), and the Hellbender. Everyone and thing else is Square's. 'Cept the song. The song is Final Distance by Utada Hikaru.  
  
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Guns don't kill people; death kills people. It's a proven medical fact.  
  
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Shinjite|Believe  
  
**  
  
Chapter 03: Uso Mitaina Hikari ~ A False Light  
  
----------------  
  
"Come on!!!" Lilith grabbed Sora's arm and dragged him out the front doors of Hollow Bastion.  
  
"Why are you desperate to get out of the building?" Leon asked, looking over his shoulder at the castle.  
  
"Because..." Lilith started, her paces matching with disturbing accuracy to her spirit guide's speed. "Yuuyami's gonna bring Ansem back to life!"  
  
Sora skid to a halt. "WHAT?!"  
  
"Not now!" Lilith, with remarkable strength, lifted Sora right off his feet and tossed him atop Chemuk, who cleared the edge of the Castle Gates easily. The ground near Aerith exploded, and she screamed.  
  
"What the hell is happening now?!" Cloud growled, helping Aerith to her feet.  
  
~~Even though I worry about it, I can't ask~~  
  
"Shit! A behemoth!" Lilith pointed to the roof, where the huge Heartless's horn sparked with deadly charge. And standing beside it, a smirk gracing his tan features, white trench coat flapping in the breeze, stood the father of all Heartless.  
  
Lilith's hand went instinctively to her left cheek, but when Sephiroth tossed her a questioning glance, she removed it, remembering the blazing black and red symbol had disappeared from her cheek.  
  
The Behemoth sent more lightning bolts raining down, this time aimed for the mage. Lilith was knocked off her feet, but rather than falling, she caught herself, and used a steady handspring to get herself back to her feet.  
  
~~ I'm tired of swimming, and even you have become shy ~~  
  
"Did you bring the Hellbender?!" Lilith shouted over the steady explosions to Aerith, who nodded.  
  
"Yeah! Yuffie's onboard, waiting!""  
  
"Hmm..." The redhead flicked her wrist out in front of her, and pulled one of the many silver bangles off of it.  
  
"This is not time to be fixing your jewelry!" Sephiroth growled, flying nearby.  
  
"And now is not the time to be accusing me off being chauvinistic!" Lilith twisted the bangle firmly, bending into unfixable shapelessness. It exploded into white light, and Lilith tossed it into the air, where a column of white light towered high above them.  
  
First the sky seemed to blacken over, like a huge cloud had passed over them. But the "cloud" hummed steadily, and four huge engines sent a column of flame out behind it.  
  
~~ I want to see you, but I never can, waves push us apart ~~  
  
"The Hellbender..." Cloud stared.  
  
"Come on!" Lilith, with practiced grace, jumped to the open hatch, and soon everyone was aboard.  
  
"You wanna play those games... Well, mess with the best, die like the rest!" The Hellbender swung around with speed that you wouldn't associate to the huge ship, and several laser cannons unfolded from the wing, and Lilith opened fire.  
  
The Behemoth went down, along with a good chunk of the roof. But Ansem was gone. "Damn him..." Sora growled, looking at the spot where his enemy once stood.  
  
~~ Again, just a little more distance ~~  
  
~§~  
  
"It's a strain of Pneumonia, but it affects the lungs more heavily then normal. All it takes is..." Lilith ran out of one of the many bedroom-like quarters aboard her ship, and came back with a black case.  
  
"Is?!" Leon growled, annoyed by the way Lilith was acting like Yuffie's sickness was a common cold.  
  
"Oh chill lover boy, she'll be on her feet by the time we get to Destiny Islands." Leon sulked after her comment, and Lilith smirked at him.  
  
She folded open the case, and within were many vials of liquids in every possible known color. "Hmm..." Lilith pulled out three, and dumped a little of each into a metal bowl. "And..." The mage pulled out another vial, but within was looked like crushed leaves, which she dumped into the metal bowl.  
  
~~ We can't dismiss this if we want to keep it going baby ~~  
  
"Drink." The Empress commanded, handing Yuffie the glass filled with the sugar pink liquid.  
  
"Oi." Yuffie swallowed it, before hacking for almost a minute straight.  
  
"Now, you rest." Lilith smiled, took the glass from her, and walked out of the room.  
  
"So, now we go to Destiny Islands." Sephiroth stated, as Chemuk saw Sora's face light up.  
  
~§  
  
~~ If you don't feel the same then tell me ~~  
  
"Well, where's your place?" Leon asked, looking around the beach,  
  
"This world is so pretty!" Yuffie declared, feeling much better.  
  
"Well, well, well... Long time no see, princess of heart." Lilith smirked, and Sora instantly looked up.  
  
"Ka-Kairi?!" Sora stuttered, staring at the girl who looked down on the group with wide, surprised eyes. It had only been 6 months, but her hair was longer now, reaching her shoulders. Her indigo eyes sparkled with renewed hope.  
  
"Sora."  
  
~~ Even if you see only the slightest chance ~~  
  
Kairi had her arms around Sora's neck, and Sora's arms around her waist, before her brain registered that she had moved. "SORA!!!" She shouted, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
The guys all shook their heads at the display of emotion, and the three remaining girls all smiled sweetly. "Where have you been?!" She shouted, not removing her arms from his neck.  
  
"Busy. Trying to find a way back here, and to find Riku." Sora looked down, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Chemuk hang her head, and Lilith cock her head to the side.  
  
"What's up with Riku?" There was an awkward silence, and Lilith's eye twitched. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GONE?!" With little effort, the empress grabbed Leon by his white shirt, and lifted him right off of his feet.  
  
"WELL?!"  
  
~~ Then it's okay to try for the big celebration ~~  
  
"M'lady... he's gone." Chemuk whimpered, nudging Lilith in the shoulder.  
  
"W-what?" Lilith's pale fists dropped Leon, and she turned on the assembled group. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"  
  
"M'lady... Right after Ansem took you... Riku vanished into a black portal..."  
  
"A black portal... of course. The energy signature I read in the corner of the Grand Hall..."  
  
~~ I want to be with you now ~~  
  
~§~  
  
"So we're going back to Traverse Town?" Sephiroth questioned Chemuk, who nodded.  
  
"Yeah. Lilith says she's gonna Astral Project from there and see if she can find Riku." Chemuk glanced over at her liege, who was leaning against the glass window, staring off into [Literal] space. Her eyes were glassed over, a distant, serene look on her face - like someone who had found peace inside emptiness.  
  
They knew she would take the news of Riku's disappearance bad, but this outdid everyone's expectations. She never spoke, never moved - just stayed silent and distant.  
  
~~ Believe in us together through the distance ~~  
  
~§~  
  
They gathered in the red room of the hotel, and Lilith sat in the middle of the floor, a determined looked on her face. The others all took seats around the room, Cloud, Chemuk, and Sephiroth sitting close to the girl.  
  
~~ Now is the time ~~  
  
Lilith closed her eyes, and clenched her hands together in front of her chest. The words came to her lips naturally, as they should.  
  
"Gods of the sea,  
  
Gods of the sky,  
  
Guide me through Oblivion,  
  
Where Angels Die."  
  
Lilith felt her body go numb, an unpleasant tingling spreading slowly through her arms and down her legs. She went limp, falling forward. Cloud threw his arm around her waist, keeping the redhead from smashing her face on the floor.  
  
"Good luck, Lilith-Chan."  
  
~§~  
  
~~ We can start over ~~  
  
Lilith hit the ground rear-first, and prepared for the pain associated with her fall... it never came. She moved her hand to brush bangs from her eyes, and felt something tug on her wrist.  
  
~~ Because I don't want to be alone ~~  
  
"Wha?!" Nothing should be able to touch her without her consent. She then realized a gauzy, transparent, sparkly material was wrapped around her wrist, and billowed over her back and the stone pavement.  
  
~~ Say it in words ~~  
  
"A ghost... I got astral projected as a fuckin' GHOST!" Lilith gathered up the cloak that proved her "ghost-ness" and walked off the black stone road.  
  
~~ One day, even the distance ~~  
  
"Now where would..." Lilith glanced around, and spotted not Riku, but someone else she knew. "Izumi!" The empress hissed, watching her enemy walk into a B+B. "Heh!" Lilith dashed off after Izumi, invisible because of her ghost cape.  
  
~~ Will embrace me, but I'll get used to it ~~  
  
~§~  
  
"Where's our 'GUEST'?!" Izumi growled, and Mikaa turned to face her younger sister angrily.  
  
"He's in his room sleeping... Why?!" Izumi shot her sister a poison glance, and then disappeared around the corner.  
  
~~ Because after all, I wanna be with you ~~  
  
~§~  
  
"Hehe." Lilith leaned against the front door, before phasing through it. "Hm? Hm?" The empress glanced around the room, before snickering and dashing up the stairs, leaving a mass of sparkles behind her.  
  
~~ Can a single word hurt this much? ~~  
  
"Hm..." She came face to face with two doors, and blinked. "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo..." She recited the whole rhyme. Which ended on the door to the left. She then shrugged, and placed both her almost-see-through hands on the door. She phased through it, and then grinned.  
  
~~ Teach me loneliness and then come back to me ~~  
  
Her breath caught in her throat, and tears came to her eyes. Lying on the bed, above the blankets, was Riku. His silvery-blue hair had been freed from the ponytail to rest across the pillow. His cloak, shirt, and shoes were in a pile by the bed. (AN: Riku... shirtless... *drools*)  
  
~~ You can't stop the time, keep on trying baby ~~  
  
"Riku-kun..." Lilith smiled and glided over to the bed. She pulled the silver cloak off her head, making her visible as a slightly transparent person. The astral projected girl smiled sadly, and placed her hands on Riku's cheeks.  
  
~~ I can't promise but trust me ~~  
  
His eyes flashed open, and she jumped backwards soundlessly, cloak clutched in one hand. Riku sat up, and his eyes locked on the intruder.  
  
~~ Even if you see only the slightest chance ~~  
  
"Li-Lilith?!"  
  
~~ Then it's okay to try for the big celebration ~~  
  
He jumped to his feet and the empress dropped her cloak, ran up to him, before leaning against his chest, standing on her tippy-toes, and pressing her finger against his lips. "SHHH! I'm only Astral Projecting... If anyone besides the target sees me, then I instantly vanish!!"  
  
~~ I wanna be with you now ~~  
  
"Oh." Riku rested his hands and her shoulders, as she choked back a sob. He could feel her petite frame quivering, as if she was weak.  
  
~~ Fix your eyes on us in through the distance ~~  
  
"We're looking for the door to the light... Sora and Kairi are working with us... The walls are down again... Ansem's been revived..." Lilith looked away, and a single silver tear ran down her cheek.  
  
~~ Now is the time ~~  
  
Riku's eyes widened, but he pulled her into a hug. "Lil... I have faith in you to find my way outta here." Se tightened her grip on his back, and rested her head against his chest.  
  
~~ We can start over ~~  
  
"Riku... I've got to go." She whimpered.  
  
~~ Because I don't want to be alone ~~  
  
"No!" He growled, firmly holding her close.  
  
~~ Say it in words ~~  
  
"Riku-kun..."  
  
~~ One day, even the distance ~~  
  
She felt the wings blossom from her back, a sign that she would soon have to return to her world. The huge angel wings, gold and red and orange, just like flames, didn't seem to faze the teenage islander.  
  
~~ Will embrace me, but I'll get used to it ~~  
  
Riku grabbed the redhead by her arm. "Promise... Promise you'll come back to me."  
  
~~ Because after all, I wanna be with you ~~  
  
"Riku-kun..." Lilith smiled, and freed her arm from his tight grip, and then she wrapped her cloak around her arms and waist, like an elaborate shawl. The air in the room started to stir, moving upwards.  
  
~~ I wanna be with you now ~~  
  
"Riku..." Lilith flapped the wings and lifted into the air, before placing her hands on Riku's cheeks, and pulling her face close to his.  
  
~~ Cause I know this can't be forever ~~  
  
"I will..." The empress kissed the islander gently and sadly... a final parting.  
  
~~ We can start over, just you and me ~~  
  
-- And then she vanished. --  
  
~~ I wanna be with you now ~~  
  
Riku smirked in pure irony. The room had a faint smell of jasmine, and a solitary blood red feather sat upon his floor. Riku picked it up, and placed it next to Lilith's pendant. His turned to face the middle of the room, and close his eyes, imagining the redhead as she had when he first had seen her. He sighed, opened his eyes halfway, and then dropped onto his bed, only to fall into a restless sleep.  
  
~~ Cause I know this can't be forever ~~  
  
Lilith's teal eyes flickered open, and she realized she was in the Red Room in Traverse Town's hotel. She stifled a sob, and buried her face in her pillow.  
  
~~ We should stay together, just you and me ~~  
  
Chemuk stood up from the corner, and nuzzled her. The wolf whispered quietly to herself, "I knew it was a mistake."  
  
~~ I wanna be with you ~~  
  
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AN: Eesh. This took a LOT longer then I expected to finish.... GOMEN!!! 


End file.
